Police criticise campaigning journalist

The former newspaper editor who won an OBE for his campaign to free Stephen Downing has been accused by police of fabricating interviews in his book about the case.

Detectives claim that Don Hale, who was given a string of press awards and was commended by the Prime Minister for his work, attributed comments to people he had not spoken to.

Mr Hale began his efforts to clear Mr Downing's name in 1994 while he was editor of the Matlock Mercury, in Derbyshire, and detailed his achievements in the 2002 book Town Without Pity.

He has tirelessly protested Mr Downing's innocence and forwarded a list of 22 potential suspects to the inquiry team, each of whom has been rejected.

In a report published today, police said a line-by-line analysis of the book had thrown up discrepancies.

The report, written by Deputy Chief Constable of Derbyshire Police Bob Wood, said: "There are a number of anomalies contained within Mr Hale's documentation, and within Town Without Pity, that, taken in isolation, have the potential to detract the reader from the facts surrounding the case."

His report states that some people quoted in Mr Hale's book and later interviewed by police said they had never spoken to the journalist and that many others said his version of conversations were different to their own.

"A number of witnesses to whom Mr Hale attributes personal comment have told officers they have never spoken to him," said Mr Wood's report.

Mr Hale said the police criticisms of his evidence left him in a no-win situation, declaring: "I have done nothing wrong."

He pointed out that some people would tell journalists things they would not feel happy disclosing to police. "As a journalist, people say things to you that when the police take it officially, they retract or change their version of events, he said."